Cross Training Guide for Artistic Athletes
Today I want to highlight some quick steps you can use to integrate cross training into your life, right now!
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So here’s some steps for you to take to integrate cross training, then we will break it down below.
- First clear out at least 60 mins for training a week. A great option is 15 minute warm-ups before class each day!
- Bonus points if you can fit in 90 minutes.
- Now, let’s make some goals! You may have a lot but let’s pick only two things you really want to focus on.
- Maybe an area of the body that has been injured and a skill (arabesque height?) you would like to improve.
- Future blog post on just goals coming soon.
- Get a set of strong bands (contact us for recommendations if needed) or even better get access to some free weights.
- Bonus – a door anchor like this (link) can help attach bands anywhere!
- Then be sure to plan your week out in advance so you never feel lost or scrambling in the moment. Written out on paper works fine but there are free apps we can share that allow you to save exercise info as well.
- String 3-5 exercises together for different body parts but with at least 2-3 focusing on your goals
- EXAMPLE WORKOUT
- See more by downloading a sample from our New Season, New Heights program – nsnh.dptfit.com
- Think about balance, ankle strength, knee stability, hip control, core work, upper back strength, shoulder stability, and some full body movements
- Make sure you address all of the different areas above at least once each week!
- Get the above and you will be on the path to see results!
- But this is just the start. Get comfortable here then seek to find new innovative ways to progress and further challenge yourself.
If you want to learn more, read on as we break down each step in more detail.
We want to ensure you can have success on your own, but our team has some unfair advantages to help you excel! Combine my 12+ years as a personal trainer for athletes, my 6+ years as a sports doctor of physical therapy with special emphasis on Artistic Athletes, and Nicole’s lifetime of dance, 12+ years as a dance instructor, with her training history; and we’ve got a recipe for some innovative programs!
We make it an aim in our programs to give you not just the roadmap to success, but also the why behind it all. We want you to understand the program and build your knowledge for lifelong progress! But, if circumstances prevent you from joining our amazing group of Artistic Athletes, here’s the details for our quick start guide!
The results may come slower, but if you keep working on it, you can continue to improve creating your own workouts.
We don’t need much detail on the time frame of 60-90 mins a week, but anything is better than nothing. This is just the minimum we ask our athletes to achieve on a normal week.
It’s better to split the time up among multiple sessions as well, keep those muscles engaged throughout the week. If you are doing shorter workouts, we recommend splitting your exercises so work half the body each session and using a circuit.
That’s a few exercises back to back for different parts of your body without rest until you get through them all. The more time you have, the more of your body you can fit into each session.
When picking goals, we think two major goals is the magic number. Picking just one can lead to a narrow program and multiple can split you too many ways.
When picking goals, it’s always smart for athletes to address the areas they have had injuries in or felt weaker in the past. Don’t just focus on the old physio exercises though, find some new and harder moves to mix in when you feel ready. Remember, you need to progress, not do the same things forever.
Then pick a skill and you can break it down, which we will cover in another post. We’ve made programs for jumps, extension, balance, turns, speed, so forth, so steal ideas from us or think of some new ones. Every few months, slightly shift your goals so you are never leaving any body part totally behind.
Next you want some resistance and bands are the easiest to transport, plus the thick ones can give a lot of resistance. Door anchors allow you to safely anchor your bands around any door, so you can change the angle of pull all you want. Ankle straps that clip to bands can be a bonus as well! Extra points for handles. We have sets from amazon for like $30 and have lasted years. Let us know if you need a link or want us to look at some you are thinking about buying. We’ve had multiple Artistic Athletes run our programs with just these bands alone!
It’s not a bad idea after a few consistent months with the bands to look into a fitness center or upgrading to a set of light and a heavy dumbbell. This is different for everyone but typically around 5-10 lb for the light set and 30-40 lb for the heavy single.
Planning is crucial and probably the hardest part. Organizing and choosing exercises that pair well, address the correct things, and so forth is a huge benefit of having a skilled coach. But to do it by yourself we recommend a few things.
Start saving and organizing exercises (we use instagram save feature and save them into categories for ankle, knee, back, etc.). Then start with moves you know or grab some from our page in the Work It Wednesday series. Each week substitute out one or two new exercises throughout the whole week. As you learn what you like, you will be better able to find new things to mix.
Your goal should be to get more reps or heavier resistance when you do the same exercises for a few weeks in a row though. Keep progressing!
Eventually you’ll know you like mixing certain exercises and you’ll be able to mix your own circuits together. Just don’t get in the trap of only working what you’re good at. Be sure to include work for your weaknesses as well!
What do you think? How was that for a guide?
If you have more questions, message us or join our program to see it in action. You’ll be in such a better place to create a solid program once you’ve completed one such as ours!
